1. Technical Field
Eco-friendly, or “green,” disinfection/sanitization compositions are disclosed that include “green” disinfecting/sanitizing agents, “green” surfactants, and other “green” ingredients such as linkers, pH adjusting agents, natural fragrances, and other “green” additives. The composition may be used as a “green” cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing composition with performance comparable or superior to conventional products with less desirable ecological profiles. The composition may be present as a micro-emulsion.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a significant amount of global consumer awareness in “green”, i.e., eco-friendly, household or personal care products. As a result, increasing efforts have been directed to the development of household products with desirable ecological profiles. For example, products containing ingredients that are derived from natural and renewable sources, as well as products that are biodegradable in natural environments, have been a focus of this global “eco-friendly” trend.
Indeed, products derived from renewable resources, such as plants, contribute less greenhouse gas because of their closed CO2 cycle. Specifically, during growth, plants consume the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as they subsequently release into the atmosphere by biodegradation after use. Therefore, products derived from renewable resources, such as plants, are considered to be “green” and having zero or reduced “carbon footprint” when compared with petrochemical-based products. Common ingredients in household products such as surfactants, fragrances, oils and solvents can be derived directly or indirectly from both renewable sources such as plant materials or non-renewable sources such as petroleum.
Further, multi-purpose household products that function both as cleaners and disinfectants/sanitizers are also known in the art. However, cleaners with good cleaning performance sometimes have poor disinfecting/sanitizing properties, while disinfectants/sanitizers that demonstrate excellent disinfecting/sanitizing performance sometimes have poor cleaning properties. Moreover, products that combine good cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing efficiencies typically include harsh chemicals, such as peroxygen bleach, hydrogen peroxide, glutaraldehyde and quaternary ammonium salts, which not only are toxic and/or incompatible to human skin but also have a less desirable ecological profile by including non-natural ingredients.
Natural and non-toxic disinfecting/sanitizing agents are known in the art. For example, naturally occurring essential oils and colloidal silver are both effective disinfecting/sanitizing agents with good antimicrobial activity. However, because essential oils and colloidal silver are generally immiscible with water, compositions based thereon typically include surfactants and/or solvents to disperse or solubilize the essential oils or colloidal silver. Nevertheless, the surfactants used in the compositions generally include petroleum-based surfactants which may lead to the formation of a less stable and less eco-friendly disinfectant composition.
While most surfactants are still derived from petroleum chemicals, surfactants derived from plant-based carbohydrates and oils are becoming available. One suitable renewable raw material for surfactant production is glucose, which is reacted with alcohol to produce alkyl polyglycosides (also known as alkyl polyglucosides). Alkyl polyglycosides have been used in cosmetics products, agricultural formulations and as surfactants in industrial cleaning agents. Alkyl polyglycosides include a hydrophobic (or lipophilic) hydrocarbon chain is formed by a fatty alcohol (e.g., dodecanol, tetradecanol) obtained from a saturated tropical oils such as palm or coconut oil. The hydrophilic part of an alkyl polyglycoside molecule is derived from glucose or dextrose and may be obtained from starch, most commonly from corn.
Another group of surfactants derived from natural and renewable sources are amino acid-based surfactants, which are based on fatty acids and natural amino acids. In addition to their desirable ecological profile, both alkyl polyglycosides and amino acid-based surfactants have good compatibility with the eyes, skin and mucous membranes and even reduce the irritant effects of surfactant combinations. Both alkyl polyglycosides and amino acid-based surfactants are completely biodegradable, both aerobically and anaerobically.
Some anionic surfactants may also have immediate precursors that are obtainable from natural and renewable sources. For example, long-chain alkyl sulfates may be conveniently prepared from fatty alcohols derived from coconut oils. In particular, sodium coco sulfate (SCS) is derived from pure coconut oil and includes a mixture of sodium alkyl sulfate with the main component being sodium lauryl sulfate. Sodium coco sulfate may be used in a wide variety of consumer products in which viscosity building and foam characteristics are of importance. It can be incorporated into shampoos, hand soaps, bath products, shaving creams and medicated ointments.
Finally, conventional cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing compositions are generally formulated by mixing surfactants, disinfectants, water and other ingredients to form a relatively uniform composition. The process typically requires application of mechanical force (i.e. stirring) and/or heat, both of which consume energy and resources. As a result, the ecological profile of the compositions thus formed may be adversely affected.
Hence, there is a need for a cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing composition derived from natural, renewable sources or having a higher percentage of components that are derived from natural, renewable sources. Moreover, there is a need for a green cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing composition with an improved ecological profile and performance that is comparable, or even superior, to conventional cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing products with less desirable ecological profiles. Finally, there is a need for a process for manufacturing green composition that does not require consumption of additional mechanical or heat energies.